Newcastle United to walk away from £50m defender pursuit after preliminary talks according to report

One of Newcastle United's main priorities in this summer's transfer window is to find a right-sided centre back who can protect the Magpies' net for years to come.

Newcastle's defensive options aren't exactly blessed with youthful exuberance, and the Magpies have been on the lookout for a long-term partner for Sven Botman for a while now.

Last summer, Newcastle spent weeks and months negotiating with Crystal Palace over a move for England centre-back Marc Guehi, only to come away empty-handed.

That's a mistake the club are keen to avoid repeating this year, according to a new report from iNews.

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Newcastle will step back from the pursuit of Dean Huijsen after initial talks

Newcastle are thought to be one of many clubs keen on Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, who has a £50 million release clause that is active this summer.

The Magpies were keen on the 20-year-old last year after he impressed at Roma on loan from Juventus, but ultimately focused on Guehi while Bournemouth picked up one of the bargains of the summer.

However, iNews says that after having held talks with Huijsen's representatives, it seems clear that his interest lies elsewhere, and as such, Newcastle will step back from the pursuit and shift their focus elsewhere to avoid being dragged into another lengthy transfer saga.

Newcastle want to get their business done quickly this year

Obviously, it will be a shame to miss out on such a talented player, but it's good to see Newcastle being decisive and proactive in the transfer market.

Even when Newcastle were actually buying players post-takeover, it always seemed to take an age to get a deal done; at least now it feels like quick actions will be the order of the day.

Newcastle want to get their business done early, although there is a feeling that they might not be as active in the first half of this split window, and will do the bulk of their business in the second half after the Club World Cup.